Britons protest deaths in police custody

The relatives and friends of the people killed in UK police custody have taken to the streets of London to demand justice for their loved ones.

Some 300 people marched on Saturday from Trafalgar Square to Downing Street in the annual procession organized by the United Families and Friends Campaign.

The protesters carried banners, reading “No More Deaths in Custody” and “No Justice No Peace,” and chanted “Who are the murderers? Police are the murderers.”

Deborah Coles, the director for the Inquest campaign group, said the day was an “important but poignant” day for the families who have lost loved ones while they were in police custody or immigration detention.

“It is important that the government realizes that this is an ongoing and serious human rights issue. Many families feel betrayed by a system that has let them down,” said Coles.

Among those commemorated in the procession were Mark Duggan, who was shot by a police marksman in 2011; Sean Rigg, who died after being restrained at a police station in 2008; and Olaseni Lewis, who passed away after being pinned down by 11 officers for 45 minutes at a London psychiatric hospital in 2010.

Lewis’ mother Ajibola condemned British officials for not yet holding an inquest into her son’s death, calling for the Independent Police Complaints Commission to “get a move on” with its investigation.

“This is happening all the time and it’s not just black people, it’s Asian and white, men and women. The police have to be held accountable for their actions – if you kill somebody you should be prosecuted,” said Lewis’ mother.

CAH/HJL/SS